The Dyer Shipyard is probably what residents of Portland, Oregon were referring to when they spoke of the Portland Yachting Service, a company begun by Nathan Dyer and others in 1932. The former Portland Ship Building Company shipyard is the likely site, with a protected water area about 250 feet wide, and a railway line running down into it. This site now has a marina and a restaurant.
Shipbuilding: The Dyer Family Business
Portland has a long history of shipbuilding, going back all the way to the 1700s, and the Dyer family has been involved in the city of Portland from the time of the first non-native settlers. In the early years, wooden ships were constructed in Portland shipyards for use all along the West Coast. The Dyer family business was shipbuilding.
By the time World War II began, the Cushing's Point area of Portland was identified as an ideal site for the construction of a "modern" shipyard.
Asbestos at the Dyer Shipyard
Before stringent government regulations regarding asbestos were implemented in the last quarter of the twentieth century, shipyard workers were frequently exposed to dangerously high levels of this hazardous material. Ship components that needed fire-retardant or friction-resistant properties often had asbestos as an ingredient.
Asbestos, when inhaled or ingested, can be toxic ─ resulting in lung cancer, respiratory disease, and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the body's chest cavity lining. Oregon is ranked quite high among the 50 states in terms of mesothelioma cases, in part because of the state's shipbuilding history.
Consult an Asbestos Attorney
Asbestos-related diseases often do not produce symptoms until years after the asbestos exposure. If you're concerned about your exposure to this carcinogen, contact us today to discuss your case and learn more about your options.
